Walking beam furnace



Oct. 13, 1936. c. CONE WALKING BEAM FURNACE Filed April 25, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Rae.

. c E MN A r Tam/5 Y Oct. 13, 1936. c':. CONE WALKING BEQM FURNACE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 25, 1936 lNVEN TOR, Car/'0 [an e A TTO/FNEY Oct. 13; 1936. c CONE 2,057,367

WALKING BEAM FURNACE,

- Filed April 25, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 r'lS I i m ,,/"4'

T; IlEITE] FIEE N l/EN TOR Car/ 0 Cane uzwmw Patented Oct. 13, 1936 i 2,057,367

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALKING BEAM FURNACE Carroll Cone, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Surface Combustion Corporation, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of New York ApplicationApril 25, 1936, Serial No. 76,473

4 Claims. (Cl. 198- 219) The present invention relates to heat treating I lindrical bodies W which may be assumed to be furnaces of the type requiring a conveyor for ordnance shells. Work of this type will be supmoving the work to be heat treated through the ported in an axially alined row on each beam I4, furnace chamber; and the object of the invention the work being seated, as in a saddle, on and is to provide an improved walking beam conbetween the upper marginal edges of the beam 5 veyor for furnaces of the type mentioned. One as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. of the more particular objects of the invention 2. When the work is not supported on the stais to provide a walking beam conveyor which tionary beams I4, it is supported free anchclear shall be particularly well adapted for moving cyof the same by rails lfiadapted to be moved both 10 lindrical bodies through a furnace chamber but horizontally and vertically within the channels 10 which nevertheless shall be well adapted for of the respective beams, the top side of the rail moving other types of work throughthe chambeing of such form asto form a seat or saddle ber. Another object is to provide a walking for the work.

beam conveyor which shall embody relatively few In cases where the work is not cylindrical moving parts. Other objects will more fully (sheets and bars, for example) or isnot other- 15 appear hereinafter. wise well adapted for seating .in a row on each In the drawings wherein the preferred form of beam I4, it may be disposed crosswise of the the invention is shown,-- chamber for support on a plurality of said beams- Fig. 1 shows how the present invention is assoand rails. ciated with a heat-treating furnace; a portion Eachrail I5 overlies and is slidably supported only of the latter being shown, the view as a on a rail or beam I6 which is slidably supported 20 whole being a side elevation with parts ,in secwithin the channel of the individual beams It on tion; the bottom wall thereof. The underside of the Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are fragmentary detail views lower rail I6 is flat lengthwise whereas its upper illustrative of certain features of the invention, side is provided with a series of inclined planes 25 Fig. 4 being taken along the vertical line 4 at the IT each of which terminates in a flat top I8 (see left hand part ofFig. 1; Fig. 1). The underside of the upper rail I5 has Fig.5 is a vertical cross sectional view through a series of bevelled heels I9 for riding up and the furnace structure shown in Fig. 1; down the inclined planes I1 and for seating on Fig. Bis taken partly on line 6--6 and-partly on said tops I8. Relative longitudinal movement 30 line 6a6a. of Fig. 1;a'nd f between the two rails I5 and It will, therefore,

Figs. '7, 8 and 9 are fragmentary detail views of cause the upper rail to move vertically with recertain features embodied in the mechanism spect to its stationary beam I4. As will be readshown in Fig. 1. ily appreciated, the degree of relative vertical The furnace chamber is indicated at I0 and is movement between the upper rail- I5 and the 35 a tunnel of appropriate cross sectional area and stationary beam I4 will be such that when the length consistent with the work to be heat treated. rail I5 is at its uppermost limit of movement, Any suitable means, such as burners II, may be the work W will be lifted free and clear of the employed for heating the chamber. stationary beam I4 whereas when the rail I5 is 40 Extending across the furnace chamber interat its lowermost limitof movement, the work will 40 mediate the roof and floor thereof at spaced rest on the stationary beam as previously exintervals and in a common level are a number plained. of metal cross beams I2, the ends of which are The upper rails I5 are of sufiicient length to supported in the side walls of the chamber. extend a considerable distance beyond the work I They may also be supported between their ends' entering end of the chamber III to form part of 5 on pedestals I3 extending upwardly from the a work loading station. The stationary beams chamber floor. These beams I2 together con- I4, insofar as they are of the form shown in stitute a support for certain parts of the con-'- Fig. 2, terminate a short distance outside ofthe veying mechanism, namely, foraplurality of stachamber; but other beams'ZU are provided in t y Channel beams l4 a ged in laterally place thereof for cooperating with the extended 50 spaced relation (see Fig.5). portions of the rails I5 to form the work loading At certain times during the operation of the station. conveying mechanism the channel beams I4 The beams20 are supported in spaced relation serve as temporary supports for the work which by a stationary frame work and more particu-- is to be heat treated. The work is shown as cylarly on two spacedcross beams 2I and 22 secured 55 to upright frame posts 23. Fixedly supported on the cross beam 2| are pedestals 24 individual to the longitudinal beams 20 and to which the latter are fixedly secured. The other cross beam 22 is at a higher level than the beam 2| and the outer ends of the beams 20 are fixedly supported directly thereon (see Fig. 1). Said beams 26 are conveniently made channel irons welded together in the form of a hollow body. The manner in which. the beams 20 cooperate to support the work W when the rails |5 are at their lowermost level is clearly shown in Fig. 3.

The lower rails l6 terminate at point "5 and at this point they are fixedly secured to a cross bar 25 which is fixedly supported on pedestals 26 which in turn are fixedly supported on a cross beam 21 forming part of a carriage 28. The carriage 28 is a rectangular steel frame of which 29 indicates the sides. This carriage is provided with four wheels 30, two on each side. Each set of side wheels run .on a track 3| fixedly secured on top of a longitudinal side beam 32 sup ported by the corner posts 23 of the stationary frame. Another side beam 33 at a higher level cooperates with the underlying beam 32 to form a guide way for the side wheels.

The carriage 28 is horizontally reciprocated by any preferred means. For illustrative purposes, a rack and pinion drive is shown, the rack being indicated at 34 and the driving shaft for the pinion at 35, the rack being secured to the underside of the carriage as to the side beam 29. Two racks with corresponding pinions, one at each side of the carriage, will ordinarily be employed when a rack and pinion drive is used.

Supported on the carriage 28 is a rectangular carriage 36 of which its front and rear cross beams are indicated at 31 and 31', respectively, and its longitudinal side beams at 38. The upper rails |5 are anchored to the cross beams 31 and 31' in any suitable manner as by angle plates 39 (see Figs. 1 and 4), the lower portion of the rail for this purpose having a web l5. The underside of the carriage 36 is provided with downwardly extending heels IQ for riding up and down on inclined planes I1 on the top side of the lower carriage 28. These heels and inclined planes correspond'in function to the heels l9 and inclined planes H on the rails l5 and |6,respectively'.

It will now be seen that the upper rails l5 and their carriage 36 are frictionally supported on the lower rails I6 and lower carriage 28, respectively; and that in the absence of means for positively preventing the upper rails from being carried along by the lower rails, the upper and lower rails will be reciprocated as a unit by the reciprocating means (the rack and pinion drive) coupled to the lower carriage 28.

In Fig. 1, both carriages are at their limit of movement toward the left. In this position the upper rails l5 are at their uppermost level with respect to the stationary work supports 26 and I4 and consequently the work W will be free and clear of said supports and be supported on the upper rails I5. Therefore, as the two carriages 28 and 36 move as a unit toward the right, as viewed in Fig. 1, the work will be advanced in the chamber III a distance equal to the length of the stroke of the upper rails 5. After the upper rails l5 reach their limit of movement toward the right, it is necessary that they be lowered in order to redeposit the work on the stationary work supports before said rails l5 begin their return movement toward the left; and

this lowering of the rails I5 is accomplished in the manner now to be described.

' Before the lower carriage 28 reaches the end of its stroke toward the right, the advancing end of the upper carriage 36 meets a stationary abutment 40 which, however, does not interfere with v the continued movement of the lower carriage. Likewise, before the lower carriage 26 reaches the end of its stroke toward the left, the then advancing end of the upper carriage 36 meets a stationary abutment 4| which, however, does not interfere with the continued movement of the lower carriage. The result is that as the lower carriage continues to move towards the right after the upper carriage meets the abutment 40, the upper carriage descends to its lowermost level due to the inclined planes between the two carriages. This relative longitudinal movement of the two carriages,wi1l, of course,

also cause the upper rails l5 to descend to their lowermost level as will be readily appreciated. As a result of this descent of the upper rails 5 the work thereon will obviously be redeposited on the stationary work supports.

The lower carriage 28 having reached its limit of movement toward the right now begins its return movement toward the left and in so doing. carries the upper carriage 36 along with it, the rails l5, of course, remaining at their lowermost level. However, since the now advancing end of the upper carriage 36 meets the stationary abutment 4| before the lower carriage 28 reaches the end of its stroke, it will be readily appreciated that continued movement of the lower carriage to the end of its stroke will cause the upper carriage 36 (and the rails l5) to move upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1 thereby again lifting the work W from the stationary supports preparatory to once again advancing the work toward the right.

A single abutment 48 might be used. However two identical members are preferably used to form the abutment. As clearly shown in Fig. 7,

, the abutment consists of a member which is secured to and-which depends from that stationary work supporting beam 20 which is the outside one of the series. The abutment is preferably so connected to the beam as to permit it to be longitudinally adjusted with respect to the beam as by adjusting screws 42 carried by the beam. Since the carriage 36 has vertical movement with respect to the abutments 46, the carriage is preferably provided with idler rollers 43 in advance of its cross beam 31' whereby to reduce frictional contact between the carriage and said abutments. The abutment 4| is conveniently located between the sides of the stationary loading station frame and is shown as mounted on a shelf 44 forming part of said frame. Like the two other abutments 40 it is preferably mounted for longitudinal adjustment as by a screw 45. Idler rollers are carried by the cross beam 31 of the carriage 36 for reducing frictional :(lmtact between the carriage and theabutment When the rails l5 are at their uppermost limit of movement their heels litrest on the flat tops 8 of the inclined planes I 1 of the lower rails l6 and, of course, tend to remain in that position until force is applied yto push them down the inclined planes. The slope of the inclined planes I1 is such that the gravity alone will not cause the upper rails to ride down the slope and consequently the descent of the upper rails is gradual rather than sudden. However, means may be provided for increasing the frictional resistance between the upper and lower carriage. Thus,

' as shown in Fig. 6, there may be secured to the carriage 28.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the present invention provides a conveying mechanism that is particularly well adapted for its intended purpose.

WhatI claim is: a g

1. The combination with a structure forming a heating chamber, of means for transportingwork through saidchamber comprising a stationary work support in said chamber; a work moving member arranged in the chamber in parallelism with said support, said member comprising a lower rail and an upper rail slidably seated on the lower rail, means connected to the lower rail for longitudinally reciprocating said member, means cooperating with the upper railtionary work support in said chamber, a work moving member arranged in the chamber in parallelism with said support, said member comprising a lower rail and'an upper rail slidably seated on the lower rail, means-wholly outside of the chamber and connected to the lower rail for longitudinally reciprocating. said member, means cooperating with the upper rail before the lower rail' reaches the end of its stroke for preventing the upper rail from being moved by the lower rail to the limit of the stroke of the lowerrail, and inclined planes-between the two rails for causing the lower rail as it continues to move to the end of its stroke to move the upper rail vertically with respect to the said stationary i work support;

3, The combination with a structure forming a heating chamber, .or means ,for transporting work through said chamber. comprising a stationary work support'in said chamber, a work moving member arranged in the chamber in parallelism with said support, said member comprising a lower rail and an upper rail slidably seated on the lower rail, means wholly outside of the chamber and connected to the lower rail for longitudinally reciprocating said member, stationary means outside of the chamber cooperating with the upper rail before the lower rail reaches the end of its stroke tor preventing the upper rail from being moved by the lower rail to the limit of the stroke of the lower rail, and means forming parts of the seats between the two rails for causing the lower rail as it continues to move to the end of its stroke to move the upper rail vertically with respect to the said stationary work support.

4. In the combination specified in claim 1,'said stationary work support comprising laterally spaced side walls between which the said rails are laterally confined. CARROLLv CONE. 

